12 October 1915

The cost of assuring flour supplies

With local mills unable to produce flour of the quality needed for bread, Jersey is wholly reliant on imported supplies to guarantee this most essential food item remains locally available.

With local mills unable to produce flour of the quality needed for bread, Jersey is wholly reliant on imported supplies to guarantee this most essential food item remains locally available.

In view of this, the States wisely took steps some months back to ensure that adequate stocks exist in the Island. Establishing a flour store at the West Park Pavilion, the authorities stockpiled one month’s supplies there, ready to release into the market as necessary should imports cease or the price of bread rise too high.

The flour store was considered valuable enough to assign a permanent guard drawn from the Militia. In recent weeks, however, the Lieutenant Governor has questioned the cost of keeping this arrangement in place.

General Rochfort is under pressure to generally reduce the amount presently spent on Jersey’s ongoing defence. As a potential candidate for making a saving, he has suggested removing the flour store guard. With the cost of maintaining the guard running at between £8 and £10 per week, it would represent a useful saving and release the militiamen back for outpost duty around the coast.

The Defence Committee have agreed to consider the matter.

D/AP/R/13/38 contains correspondence on establishing the flour store guard and questions over its value.